If you’re a closeted right-wing lawmaker or religious leader cruising the grids of Grindr for some steamy side action (and we know there are lots of you out there), you should probably be careful who you’re sending face pics to.
Because while it may seem like you’re on the cusp of securing a hot hook-up, you really have no idea who’s on the receiving end (so to speak) of those messages you’re feverishly typing.
It could even, for instance, be a reporter from GayRVA, Richmond, Virginia’s gay news rag.
Related: EXCLUSIVE: Grindr Screenshots Reveal Antigay Pastor Is A Top Who Likes To Cuddle
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Such was the case for one Southwestern Virginia GOP lawmaker, who was looking for some snowed-in company to cuddle up to.
In a post titled An open letter to the Republican House member we saw on Grindr this weekend, Brad Kutner writes:
As a gay man, I’d never shame someone for wanting to explore their sexuality as long as it is done in a safe and healthy way, so I hope you’re getting the chance to enjoy it!
…
It’s been a while since I’ve been single, but you’re a bit too old to be counting on low self esteem to get you laid.
Speaking of age, you totally lied on your profile – also tacky! (Google is an editor’s best friend.)
I know you’re obviously not out at work here at the General Assembly, but I have to ask why you would vote against a law which would have protected LGBTQ Virginian’s for being fired for who they love.
…
Self-hatred is not cute, by the way and is thoroughly an unattractive character or personality trait.
Speaking of self loathing behaviors, why did you vote against the appointment of an openly gay Judge? That vote was less-than-subtle on why and how it was targeted – with several conservative Senate members walking out rather than voting him in – but again, you sat there quietly and let the broader anti-gay sentiment at the GA take the driver’s seat.
…
Now I really wasn’t aiming to embarrass you with this letter, but I just want you to know we’re out there and we aren’t gonna blow you when you blow your chance to do some good for the community.
Coming out is a personal choice, but when you’ve been given the kind of power you now have, it’s pretty disappointing.
While Kutner and GayRVA chose not to “out” the lawmaker because, “he hasn’t been specifically vocal on LGBTQ issues” (though his voting record seems to speak for itself), they did include the screenshots of the Grindr chat, edited to protect his identity:
We can respect the decision not to out him, but that doesn’t mean we won’t welcome speculation.
Anyone want to take a stab at who this mystery man is?
Head here to see the full post, which may include some more clues as to who it is.
Glücklich
Ohhh…shocker…
Anything you’d like to say, Asshole-istair Wiseman?
Michael Claypoole
Opps.
Sand Nierenberg
Hypocrite
Tony Chaplinski
sure seems like a lot of republicans get caught with their pants down. pun intended. What hypocrites
Philip Epstein
Aaron something???
Paul Galero-Phillips
What amazes me if they are gay or bi,whatever. Why do they create these ridiculous laws when them in fact want some dick.
Luis H. Lopez
Expose them and set us all free from these hypocrites of evil antigay bigotry!!!
Brian
I can see what Brad Kutner is trying to say and I appreciate part of it. However, let’s put ourselves in the anti-gay Republican lawmaker’s shoes for a minute.
He is probably married to a woman who resents homosexual desire in men who are also attracted to women. He probably feels that he will lose his wife if his desire for same-sex affection is revealed to the public. In order to prevent his wife from realizing his range of affections, he votes against homosexual rights in government.
The nuclear family was designed with the interests of the woman and children at heart. Male homosexual desire represents a release from that nuclear arrangement.
Sam Oropeza
Of course
Stefano
@Brian: ha ha ha ha ha i just can’t stop laughing Brian ! You are hilarious ! You should consider making a career as a stand-up comedian ! You could make a fortune ! Kisses ! Xxxx
Stefano
A closeted gay, Republican and Antigay lawmaker ! I’m shocked ! Loll
tcq705
I had nothing better to do at work, and I did some research and I think this is Israel O’Quinn. This is just based on where the author said he resided from, whether he had kids, and how he voted for that gay judge confirmation (he didn’t, he abstained).
Jay Sherry-Alves
As I was saying Vivian!
Bryan Beard
Oh My…
Michael Davy
Figures!
Stefano
@tcq705: hummm maybe you are right ! He looks like a good ‘candidate’ ! Loll
Don Hanover
if they want the heat, then quit bitching about the kitchen…
James Sigmon
Lol old news
Frank J. Cervantes
tcq705
@Stefano: haha! everything seems to match including skin tone! ha.
Stefano
@tcq705: ha ha you’re right. 🙂
MCHG
So let’s see, the politician is not vocally anti gay, yet for some reason it’s necessary to write a snarky post about him, including pictures he sent in confidence. As far as why the politician voted against a gay judge, maybe he disagreed with the judge’s views or found him to be unqualified. Or are all gay people supposed to put in the good word for each other, regardless of actual competence? If he voted against some gay related bills, it’s quite possible that his constituents wanted him to vote that way. Or perhaps, *gasp* he doesn’t agree with the bills. Crazy, I know, the idea that gay people are capable of disagreeing with each other. The author is essentially blackmailing the politician and the creepy, borderline stalker language of the letter doesn’t do the community any good. The funny thing is this is just some irrelevant state senator. Outing him would result in no gains for the gay community. It would be a petty vindictive act that could potentially destroy a person’s life for daring to disagree with this self important Grindr trolling “journalist”.
Stefano
@MCHG: take a deeeep breath and relaxe ! It will be all right ! Loll
Joshua Grubb
Maybe they want to keep it taboo because it’s the thrill of being a bad boy that gets them going
MCHG
@Stefano: lol it’s so funny when people are harassed by nosy queens. you people make me sick.
Juanjo
@MCHG: Well I hate to be the one to bust your bubble but if you send someone a photograph they can do with it as they wish. This is why your arguments are all a bunch of hooey.
Will Glitzern
Repubs starting the year off right!
Will Glitzern
Who the hell is he?
Captain Obvious
Closeted gay republican in Virginia? Shocker!
Jason Broce
Oh, the irony
Micha? Majki Dawid
LoL ð???
joeyty
@Joshua Grubb: “Maybe they want to keep it taboo because it’s the thrill of being a bad boy that gets them going” That might be one of the most on-the-mark posts I’ve ever read.
rand503
@Brian: Then don’t run for office. It’s as simple as that. he is making life difficult for everyone else just to please his wife — that’s the very definition of selfishness, and he should NOT be a public servant.
rand503
@MCHG: He voted against an anti-discrimination law that would protect gays. IF he were in favor of them, but his constituents were not, he could at least try to explain to them why this bill is good. Apparently, he did not. He was silent while his fellows walked out because the nominee for judge was gay? Sorry, but unless someone is stupendously ill qualified, you generally vote for the governor’s picks. He voted agains the guy because he was gay, and his silence was assent.
Nostalgia Rtrfm
Outrageous!!
Roee Moshe
Got to love those.
DCguy
This 8s either a fake story or the Richmond Gay Paper is supporting and protecting a politician who has voted several times against Civil rights. They are tacitly approving his positions.
1EqualityUSA
If he is gay and working against us in political spheres, out him. One fewer Republican Senator is a lovely idea. If he is gay friendly and his politics reflects this, leave the sniveling, closeted, dork alone.
Brian, you are a damaged, predictably pathological troll. What a small, little world you inhabit.
Eduardo Quirante Lomocso
Law of Opposites: Its like anti-slavery leader but runs a company enslaving child workers. Its like a pastors, so religious on sundays but visiting oftenly a prostitution house on mondays. Its like an idial father to his family yet, secretly maintaining 3 wives with varios children. Its like a fierce journalist advocating integrity in news casting yet, collect money secretly. Be wary to over kind, honest people, it could be just a mask to cover reality.
Martin Talbot
Homophobia= Closeted and or self destructive ! Always ! LOL
Ummmm Yeah
He should have been outed. They assholes are the enemy. Grow some balls and treat them like it.
mastik8
It’s 2016 folks. Not outing this guy is just more of the internalized homophobia that, as a community, we’ve been fighting since Stonewall. There are no innocents to protect here – just out the guy.
Stefano
@Juanjo: Thank you Juanjo ! @MCHG: you can insult me and spit your poison all over me i dont care ! My life doesn’t depend on you and even less on what you think of me. You can now return to your hell. 🙂
potus8
Rep. Has a cute little assistant also. Liberty U graduate! Wonder what he’s required to do for his 53k salary??
Scott Steinagel
It’s always the anti-gay ones. Always.
Roan
http://www.israeloquinn.com/biography
Torso match:
https://www.facebook.com/israeloquinn/photos/pb.116507698443861.-2207520000.1453909842./882875198473770/?type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/israeloquinn/photos/pb.116507698443861.-2207520000.1453909842./882891835138773/?type=3&theater
AnitaMann
It’s not Israel Oquinn and the information is already disclosed in the legislator’s wikipedia profile.
AnitaMann
And according to his wikipedia profile, this legislator openly identifies as gay.
DCguy
@AnitaMann:
If that were true then you would have no trouble posting up a link proving it.
Justin Weeks
He needs to out him he should not have the power of he’s not going to use it for the greater good
AnitaMann
@DCguy: I’m not really into outing people. If I found it, you can too. It wasn’t that hard. Pretty clear it’s a delegate who is unmarried and childless, right? We know he’s childless – that’s clear and since the article talks about a future relationship you can surmise he’s single. That Israel dude is married.
I will say the legislator looks hotter and younger without his beard. And the bending of baseball cap brims matters. Unbent just looks trashy. But, overly bent, like the one he’s wearing in a photo, looks stupid as hell.
AnitaMann
@DCguy: Oh and I gleaned he was single because the writer of the RVA article says he’d never shame someone for exploring their sexuality in a safe and healthy way. While our community has continually debated the merits of “monogamish”, it’s usually accepted that this behavior isn’t to be done in secret. Stepping outside your relationship without the consent or knowledge of your relationship partner is hardly “safe” or “healthy”, so I went with single.
AnitaMann
@DCguy: The original article also identifies him as a southwestern VA lawmaker. You do know how to pull up a legislative district map for a state via a Google search, right?
Roan
Could also be this one:
https://www.facebook.com/Delegate-Will-Morefield-356261686418/photos_stream
Chris Dallaway
Yeah just typical, like millions of other Gay straight men !!!
AnitaMann
@Roan: Check out Will’s wikipedia page and I think you’ll have your answer.
jfhjr
Wait. Is anyone else bothered by this guy, who’s a reporter (and presumably should know the difference between “good” and “well”), having said, “I’m well”, in response to the purported legislator asking how the reporter was doing?? That’s the real travesty here.
“Well” can be either an adverb or a predicate adjective and in the statement, “I am well”, it’s a predicate adjective, which is improper unless the purported legislator was asking about the reporter’s health. Sheesh…
AnitaMann
@jfhjr: After reading the full article, I got the impression he wasn’t communicating with the reporter. I think the conversation was forwarded to the reporter.
Roan
@AnitaMann:
The wiki page you refer was recently edited to add that info. He was one of two guesses for me and if you look at my comments you will see who my guesses are. I’m speculating of course.
Roan
@Roan:
Also, the wiki page was just edited to remove that info. So who knows?
AnitaMann
@Roan: I wondered if it would get removed. It was somewhat inaccurate since it said he was the subject of the story, even though he wasn’t named specifically. I’m still going with him, though. The article does say the guy is from southwestern VA. It’s clear the guy in the article doesn’t have kids. Also, I believe the guy in the article is single because the writer says he doesn’t shame someone for exploring their sexuality in a safe and healthy way. I don’t believe cheating falls into that category which makes me think the guy in the article is single. (Also, if he were married, the word choices in the questions about the adoption vote would be weird. From the wording, it appears that having biological children with a wife isn’t likely so, I gleaned single.)
bobsburgers
It’s definitely Will Morefield. Sorry, not sorry.
Atomicrob
I really don’t understand the point of this article, Either out the guy or don’t write about him and how magnanimous you believe you are for not outting him,
DCHomos
you can easily figure out who it is by process of elimination based on the Thorne-Begland vote, who is still in office, and a map of the congressional districts. There is only one name left at the end and if you google him there are rumors going back as far as 2012.
SteveDenver
THE NERVE! It’s not even FEBRUARY and right-wing closet cases usually don’t fall out and land on their face until MARCH!
twinkie1cat
If the legislator is just quietly a Republican but does not try to hinder or help with gay rights issue leave him alone but encourage him to out himself and stand for equal rights even though a conservative. There are quite a few gay and gay supportive conservatives, especially in the South.
If he is vehemently anti-gay, sponsoring legislation, demonstrating passing along lies about gays, blocking enumerated anti-bullying legislation, making snarky remarks about transpeople etc. OUT HIM IMMEDIATELY.
The same goes for preachers. If they preach against gay marriage as though it is a sin of some kind, ban gays from leadership or from the church, etc. Out them. If they simply choose not to perform same sex marriages in their church, especially if their denomination is not among the growing numbers of denominations that allow same sex marriage, but will suggest the local MCC, Unitarian, Episcopalian etc pastor who can do it, then don’t out. If his own denomination allows it and he opposes it, out him.
Jesus and John the Baptist both preached against hypocrisy regularly.
Hussain-TheCanadian
Every single closeted politician who actively works against his/her Gay brothers and sisters, MUST be outed immediately.
Has it become law yet, in the States, that being LGBT is protected when it comes to job security and discrimination?
Denver1
Out him!!! He went against the betterment of the community. Because of his choice he prolonged where the community could have been. Why shouldn’t he suffer the consequence? I agree @tcq705 Gaydar is in full alert with that guy!
Denver1
@twinkie1cat: Amen!!! to that. GD right!
Jaroslaw
@MCHG: I agree completely with your sentiments.
Jaroslaw
@Hussain-TheCanadian: What exactly did he do to “work against the community?” The only thing I can find is that he voted against a Gay judge. See MCHG’s comments above. This guy doesn’t have to vote for every Gay person solely for that reason.
Kangol
@Jaroslaw: but I have to ask why you would vote against a law which would have protected LGBTQ Virginian’s [sic] for being fired for who they love.
Did you not read the entire article or what?
EvonCook
@Brian: Sorry Brain, there are always reasons and rationalizations for anything! That does not excuse hypocrisy and bigotry!
EvonCook
@MCHG: Thanks for the self-serving spin, and do you happen to be one of those rare and bizarre breeds that call themselves “gay Republicans?” Or are you just an apologist for bigots? Remember, the silent are as responsible, if not more so, for allowing or standing by when hate occurs.
EvonCook
@twinkie1cat: And Jesus and John the Baptist were probably gay too.
uktnla
this is he
https://www.facebook.com/Delegate-Will-Morefield-356261686418/timeline
martinbakman
@Brian: I do agree that life in their safe, dark closet must begin to feel threatened as the rest of the world is coming out. Voting against our equality aligns with what they are comfortable with. As time marches on these closet queens must feel more and more sorry for the path they chose.
martinbakman
@uktnla: Gurrrrrrrrrrrrrrl! 😉
gayambassador
Anyone want to take a stab at who this mystery man is? Yes……a very very scared and stress out man at the moment.
billeetee
@MCHG: Give It A Rest, Girl!
DCguy
@AnitaMann: “@DCguy: I’m not really into outing people. If I found it, you can too.”
Oh come on, I love all of you calling out all of the identifiable information about the guy but patting yourselves on the back for not outting him.
First of all, yes, by putting all the information about him there, yes, you outted him. Secondly, by not outting him, you are supporting his anti-gay agenda.
DCguy
In an interesting coincidence. Delegate Will Morefield’s Facebook page has been taken down quite suddenly.
Bauhaus
Welcome to [toe-tapping] Virginia.
stnc
I sure you heard the expression * the world is full of married men* I know I’ve had sex with most of them, two in my past have been my partners. I learned the hard way, a married man is to be avoided at all costs. They lie and deceive, they are built that way same as a bi man. I now have been married for the last nine years to a guy man (and what a man). People who are gay* and claim not to be, that’s their decision, but when they turn on their own that is a problem, not only theirs but mine! I don’t advocate outing people, I actually think it’s an appalling thing to do! We here in Sydney had a State Politian publicly outed coming out of a gay sauna on TV. all on the grounds of security* and public interest. As far as I’m concerned it was nothing but a cub reporter trying to make a name for himself, the Premier (Governor) backed the Minister as did most of the public, the TV station had a huge back lash! A persons sexual orientation is no ones business! But this Guy* who publicly stabs Gay people in the back, one of our own* is despicable, so what do we do, hang him out to dry?
Roan
@gayambassador:
Spoiler Alert: Will Morefield.
scotshot
@Brian:
e
You’ve gone further over the edge and are now posting even gibberish, it’s time for you to retire – or not.- you’re always good for a laugh.
scotshot
@MCHG: Shouldn’t you be at Blaze? How tedious you are.
scotshot
@MCHG:
“lol it’s so funny when when people are harassed by nosy gay queens. you people make me sick.”
it’s so funny when heteros come to Queerty to harass gays. piss off.